Mactabilis
by animatedrose
Summary: "Welcome to Mactabilis." "Macta-what?" "This world doesn't have a true name, so I've been calling it Mactabilis. It's Latin for deadly or lethal. It's the perfect name." "Is there anyway for us to get home?" "Maybe." In a world where kids appear at random, hungry monsters roam, and the world is divided into levels...survival is your only option. Escape is impossible...or is it?
1. Prologue

This is what happens when I read too much siren manga and play too much Pokémon. Damn you, plot bunnies… Damn you…

This was written well over a year ago. Just letting you know how many extra stories I have on my computer that nobody has ever seen before.

Pokemon: Mactabilis

Prologue

Sand stretched all around them as far as the eye could see. The dusty air caused them to cough violently. The children, a group of five, looked around with looks of confusion and fear.

"W-where are we?" one of the girls asked.

She was tall with long dark brown hair that cascaded past her shoulders. A pair of round glasses glinted brightly in the harsh sunlight, reflecting the light back into her chocolate brown eyes. She wore a purple sundress with pink straps and a pink strip along the bottom edge. A pair of pink flip-flops kept her feet just barely above the burning hot sands. She looked around again, trying to see if there was anything familiar around.

"This isn't home," one of the boys said, voice full of confusion.

He was shorter than the girl and had dirty blonde hair, the bangs falling in front of his baby blue eyes. Freckles covered his cheeks and nose. He wore a white T-shirt with red short sleeves and a red 11 on the front, light brown shorts that ended just below his knees, white socks, and red and white tennis shoes. He was shaking, staring into the distance.

"I'm scared!" another girl whined.

She was only an inch or two shorter than the boy. She had red hair tied into two braids on the sides of her head. Her green eyes shimmered with fresh tears. She wore a pair of blue jean overalls, a pink T-shirt with a red heart on the front, white socks, and brown tennis shoes. She clutched the first girl's dress, sobbing.

"I want to go home!" another boy cried.

He was the shortest one in the group. He had messy brown hair that curled on the edges and brown eyes. He wore a pale yellow long-sleeved shirt with goldenrod sleeves and a Pikachu face on the front with yellow sparks jumping from its red cheeks, blue jeans with the leg cuffs rolled up, and yellow and white tennis shoes. Fat tears ran down his cheeks as he cried into his hands.

"Enough! Crying won't solve anything!" another girl, the last member of the group, yelled.

She was obviously the oldest of the group. She had long black hair bound up in a ponytail and blue eyes. She wore a white T-shirt, purple knee-length shorts, and brown hiking boots. A light blue sweatshirt was tied around her waist. She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at her four companions.

All four fell silent instantly, looking at the older kid. The raven-haired girl flipped her ponytail over her shoulder and frowned.

"We have to move, okay?" she said. "Staying here will only make us hotter. This is a desert…apparently. I don't know how we got here, but we can't stay put."

"Why not?" the blonde boy asked.

"As the day goes on, the temperature will get higher," the brunette girl replied without hesitation. "It will keep getting hotter as the sun crosses the sky. That will reverse come sundown, though. It'll become horribly cold."

"I hate the cold!" the blonde boy instantly cried, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Where do we go then?" the red-haired girl demanded, glaring at the older raven-haired girl. "I don't see a town! I don't see anything but sand!"

"We'll find somewhere," the raven-haired girl growled.

"I want to go home," the brunette boy sniffled.

"We'll get home, Charlie," the brunette girl promised, patting his head reassuringly. "I know we will."

**One year later…**

"Shit! Move it!"

"Hurry, Charlie! This way!"

"It's gaining!"

"Run! Hurry!"

"We won't make it!"

The five children were running as fast as they could from a humanoid creature. It was running on all fours, fanged canine-like jaws snapping as it sped up. Its back had orange fur covered in black stripes. Its wrists and ankles were covered in cream fur. On the top of its head was a matted mess of cream fur, orange canine-like ears placed on either side of the mass. A furry cream tail emerged from its hind end. Its face, aside from the muzzle, looked human in appearance. Its hands, feet, and underbelly also looked human. On its forehead was a black number…26.

The raven-haired girl suddenly stopped, whipping around and drawing a sword from her sweatshirt, which had doubled as a belt in order to carry the weapon. The red-haired girl and the blonde boy stopped as well, both of them drawing knives of their own.

"Keep going! We'll keep it busy!" the raven-haired girl shouted.

"Got it! Be careful!" the brunette girl called back, grabbing Charlie's hand as she continued to run.

"Time to die, motherfucker," the raven-haired girl said coldly.

"RRRRAAAAAAH!" the humanoid-canine beast roared, charging.

"DIE!" she screamed, lunging with her sword.

She grinned as her sword tore through its stomach, impaling the beast. Blood burst from its jaws as it let out a final death cry. She remained there briefly before pulling back, allowing the fatally wounded beast to crumple to the sandy ground. Wiping her blade with her sweatshirt sleeve, she turned to face her two companions with a smirk.

"Time to head ba—"

She was interrupted by a strange gurgling growl. The blonde and the redhead froze, eyes wide in fear. The raven-haired girl didn't even need to turn around to realize something was horribly wrong. She slowly looked over her shoulder.

"Shit," she whispered.

She didn't have time to move into an attack position before sharp claws tore through her back and out her chest, her still-beating heart trapped within them. Her friends screamed before running away. The creature crushed her heart and tossed her lifeless body aside, pursuing its prey once more.

.o.o.o.o.

"It's a town," the brunette girl breathed. "Finally…"

The empty town loomed ahead, the promise of protection coming with it. Charlie sobbed in joy, clutching her hand harder as they ran. Safety was only a few steps away…

A loud scream tore through the air. The pair stopped and turned, only for the girl to suddenly pull Charlie against her chest to shield him from the sight. She turned and ran for the town, practically carrying Charlie there.

The monster had come back. The blonde boy had his head torn from his shoulders in front of them. The redhead had tripped and fallen, the beast breaking her back as it stampeded after the remaining two children. Blood stained its jaws and hands red. Only two more to hunt…

The brunette yanked the door of the first building she reached open, shoving Charlie inside. "Stay in here, okay? Don't come out! Just hide, okay? Hide and stay put until it's gone!" she ordered.

"Abby? Abby!" Charlie wailed.

She slammed the door behind her, trapping him inside…and her outside. Charlie scrambled to the door and tugged on the knob, but it didn't budge. The pounding footsteps of the monster approached quickly. Charlie's screams ceased the moment the brunette's began. Blood splattered across the window, causing him to duck beneath its sill. He began to cry.

Her scream ended quickly, only to be replaced with a more sinister noise. It was a sickening cross between a crunch and a slurp. Charlie's hands clapped over his mouth. It was _eating_ her! He fought desperately not to throw up.

The noise abruptly stopped. The beast unleashed that gurgling growl of its. Had it heard him? Charlie pressed his back to the wall, keeping as far under the window sill as possible.

Its face loomed in the blood-spattered window, glowing red eyes scanning the dark room within. Charlie tucked his legs as close to his chest as possible, praying he wasn't seen. The monster stayed there for a few seconds longer before dropping out of view. The sickening noises of it feasting returned. Charlie buried his face in his arms and cried.

Night had fallen by the time the beast left the empty town behind. Charlie went out the back door and headed further into town, desperate to escape from the corpses of his friends…or what was now left of them. He would leave come morning and find another town to shelter in.

That was all Charlie could do now. He was the last one of his group…but maybe not the last human here. He would search, no matter how long it took. He wouldn't allow others to suffer the same way his friends did. Never again…


	2. Chapter 1: The Lucky Rescue

Chapter 1: The Lucky Rescue

"Ugh…"

"Nick, wake up. Nick? Please wake up, Nick."

"Huh?"

"This is kind of scary. Nick?"

"I'm up, I'm up,"

A pair of brown eyes opened, blinking tiredly. The blinking suddenly turned from exhaustion to confusion. Instead of seeing the ceiling of a bedroom, they saw a clear blue sky. How did they get outside?

The boy sat up, registering the grainy feel of sand underneath him instead of his soft bed. He shook his head, brown hair sticking up in a dozen different angles. Slowly staggering to his feet, the boy brushed sand off of his…clothes?

_Wasn't I in bed? Why am I dressed?_

He was wearing a light blue T-shirt with dark blue short sleeves, jean shorts that ended just above his knees, white socks, and red and white tennis shoes.

"Nick?"

"Huh?" he said.

The boy, Nick, looked up to see his little sister standing in front of him. Like him, she wasn't in her pajamas. She was wearing a red dress, white socks, and black shoes. Her light brown hair was held out of her face by a pair of red hairclips.

"Nick?" she repeated.

"Yes, Annie?" Nick asked.

"Where are we?" Annie questioned.

Nick looked around, shocked to see desert stretching in all directions. No matter where he looked, he couldn't see anything except sand. Not even a cactus.

"A desert? How did we end up here?" Nick asked, fear creeping into his voice. "Where's home? Where are we?"

A loud clicking chirp caught their attention. The siblings turned around as one, eyes widening in fear. A large metallic bird stood only ten feet away, its yellow eyes watching them eerily. Nick grabbed Annie's hand and began to back up. The bird hissed and lowered its body, spreading its silver wings threateningly. The two children froze, afraid.

Then the bird charged. Nick and Annie jumped away, screaming in terror as the huge metal bird shot past. With two flaps of its metallic wings, it was airborne and coming in for a dive-bomb attack. Nick shoved Annie away and jumped to the side as the bird pulled up at the last second, sharp talons leaving deep marks in the sand.

The moment the bird swooped for another dive, Nick and Annie both jumped upon hearing another voice.

"Get down, both of you!"

"Annie!" Nick cried.

He dragged his sister to the ground, shielding her with his own body. He heard the wind whistle through the bird's metal feathers. He steeled himself as the talons descended to rip him apart…

A loud crack followed by an even louder boom sounded from behind them. The bird tore out of its dive, screeching in rage. Nick looked up to see a huge hole in the bird's left wing. A crunch of sand behind him caused the boy to cower instinctively. The crunching moved around him, coming to a stop in front of him. Nick dared to look up and was instantly shocked at what he saw.

It was a boy, maybe five or six years older than him, with messy brown hair. He wore a long brown trench coat with dark stains on it, jeans with fraying leg cuffs, and brown hiking boots with black soles. A light brown backpack with black straps was slung over his shoulder. His back was to Nick, so the younger boy couldn't see what else the older was wearing. When he lifted his right arm, a glint of black metal caught Nick's attention. It was a flare gun.

The bird came in for another dive, screeching in rage at the boy who had shot it. Smoke emerged from the hole in its wing, the edges glowing red from the flare's heat. Talons at the ready, it swooped low in order to properly attack its attacker.

"Say good night, birdie," the older boy said with a smirk.

The flare gun went off, the burning flare flying right into the metal bird's open beak. Fire erupted and spread, causing it to crash to the ground with a screech of agony. It writhed on the sand as the fire ate away at its insides. After a few moments of wild thrashing and desperate cawing, it fell still. It was dead.

The older boy turned to Nick and Annie. "You okay?" he asked.

His skin was tanned, no doubt from constant exposure to the desert sun. Underneath his trench coat, he wore a white T-shirt and a brown leather belt. He dropped the flare gun into his backpack.

"Yeah," Nick nodded, shakily standing up. He pulled Annie up with him. "Thanks… For rescuing us, I mean."

"Somebody had to," the older boy shrugged.

Without another word, he approached the dead bird's corpse. With a mighty heave, he picked it up and slung it over his shoulder. Nick suddenly realized what the dark stains on the trench coat were—blood.

"What are you _doing_?" Nick asked.

"What does it look like? I'm taking it with me," the older boy replied. "You coming?"

"With you?" Annie asked. She tugged on Nick's sleeve. "Can we go? Please, please, please let us go, Nick!"

Nick sighed. "What other choice do we have?" he asked.

"You can always stay here and fall prey to some other desert-dwelling Pokemon," the older boy suggested. "Or, worse, you could end up food for the Swe—"

A loud roar abruptly cut him off. All three kids whipped around, looking in the direction the noise came from. They saw nothing. Whatever made it was still far away…but for how long?

"What was that?" Nick asked nervously.

"Sweeper," the older boy replied gruffly. "Come on. We've got to move."

He took off at a quick pace, jogging but nearly on the verge of running. Nick allowed Annie to ride piggyback while he dashed after the older boy. Soon the pair was running as a second roar echoed through the desert.

"What's a Sweeper?" Nick asked. "I'm guessing it's dangerous."

"More than you can imagine. I'll explain later. Just run," the older boy advised.

Nick didn't question the order. He simply obeyed. When a third roar rang out, the two boys were running at breakneck speeds. Annie buried her face in her older brother's shoulder to escape the sandy winds.

The roaring faded into the distance but the boys kept running, not wanting to take chances. Nick continued to follow the older boy, reluctantly placing his complete and utter trust in the guy who had saved him and his little sister. He just hoped this guy might have the answers he wants.


	3. Chapter 2: Introductions and Explanation

Chapter 2: Introductions and Explanations

Nick was relieved when a town loomed ahead of them. He and the older boy had slowed their pace at long last, though Annie made no move to walk on her own. She was still firmly clinging to Nick's back. Nick didn't care much. He was just happy to see civilization.

"It's not what you think," the older boy suddenly said.

"Huh?" Nick looked at him. "What do you mean?"

The older brunette gave no reply. Nick soon found out what he meant when they reached the town entrance.

It was empty. There was nobody around, not even a rabbit or a desert lizard. Nothing alive inhabited the town. It was abandoned.

"Are we all alone here?" Nick asked, suddenly afraid.

"In this town, yes. In this world, no," the older boy replied.

"This…world? Where are we?!" Nick demanded.

The older boy entered a tavern. Nick reluctantly followed him in. The three of them hid behind the bar, taking refuge where the bartender would stand. Annie climbed into Nick's lap, not wanting to sit on the dusty floor.

"I'm Charlie," the older boy said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Nick," Nick replied. "This is my little sister, Annie."

"Welcome to Mactabilis," Charlie welcomed dully, dropping the metal bird on the floor. He sat beside it, taking out his knife.

"Macta-what?" Nick tried to repeat.

"This world doesn't have a true name, or one that I know of, so I've just taken to calling it Mactabilis," Charlie explained. "It's Latin for deadly or lethal. It's a perfect name for this place."

"What is that thing?" Nick indicated the metal bird. "I've never seen a Pokemon like that before."

"It's a Skarmory," Charlie replied. "They're nasty bastards. As you can tell, their feathers are made of metal. They're Steel-types, making them extremely weak to fire."

"Like that flare," Nick guessed.

"Correct," Charlie nodded. "I tend to call them screaming metal death birds, personally. Noisy buzzards…"

"What are you going to do to it?" Nick asked.

"Take its feathers, tail, beak, and talons," Charlie replied. "They make good weapons. Then I'll skin it and take the meat. It's tough but it's better than starving. You take what you can get out here."

"And that roaring? You said it was a…Sweeper? What's that?" Nick questioned.

"Sweepers are hybrids of humans and Pokemon," Charlie explained. "The Creator, the one who made Mactabilis, created them to be the janitors of this world. They eliminate dead bodies and things that don't belong…like us."

"Scary," Annie whimpered.

"So, they're out to kill us?" Nick asked.

"Not exactly," Charlie admitted, plucking a few metal feathers off of the Skarmory corpse and dropping them into his backpack. "They usually leave us alone unless we anger or provoke them. As long as we stay out of their way, they don't bug us. Only if there are too many of us around do they kill without reason."

"So we're not the only ones here?!" Nick cried.

"Nope," Charlie replied. "Plenty of kids are brought here."

"Brought here?" Nick repeated.

"Yeah," Charlie nodded, cutting the Skarmory's tail off. "The Creator made this world in order to test the survival skills of mankind. I don't know why, but it's always kids that are brought here. Maybe it's because we're thought of as better survivors or something. Either way, the amount of kids in this world is strictly controlled. If there are too many kids, they'll rebel and such. The Creator likes to be in control, so our numbers are controlled to stop us from doing anything…unexpected."

"Is there a way out of here?" Nick asked.

"Not that I know of," Charlie replied.

"Is there any way to get home?!" Nick demanded.

"…Maybe," Charlie shrugged.

"Maybe? What do yo—"

"Look at that window," the older boy said, indicating a window. "See that light?"

Nick stood up, carrying Annie in his arms as he walked to the window. He squinted, just barely making out a tiny pillar of bluish-white light in the distance. Charlie soon joined him.

"What is it?" Nick asked, looking at the older boy.

"A staircase to the next level," Charlie replied.

"Next…level? Like in a video game?" Nick questioned.

"Kind of," Charlie shrugged. "Each level is basically a huge field revolving around a certain environment. Each environment has its own wild Pokemon and Sweepers. Each level also has a staircase leading to the next level. I've only ever been up to Level 5. Level 1, this place, is a desert. Everyone that The Creator brings here wakes up on this level. Level 2 is a jungle. It's a goddamn maze, I swear. Level 3 is a swamp. I fucking hate that place. Level 4 is a frozen tundra. I froze my ass off getting through there. Level 5 is a volcano. The heat was too much, so I came back here to Level 1."

"How many levels are there?" Nick asked.

Charlie shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Did you ever find an exit?" Nick questioned. "Is there a way home or not?"

"Like I said before, maybe," Charlie replied. "I don't know how many levels there are here. Maybe there's an exit at the top level…if there _is_ a top level. Maybe it keeps going on and on until you die of exhaustion searching for an exit that just plain out doesn't exist."

"That's…depressing," Nick stated.

Annie sniffled. "I want to go home!" she whined. "I want to see mom and dad again!"

"Whining and crying will get you nowhere here, kid," Charlie informed, his eyes never leaving the pillar of light in the distance.

"Just how long have you been here, Charlie?" Nick asked, curious.

"Too long," the brunette replied. "Way too long…"

Charlie didn't answer anymore of Nick's questions. He pulled open a trap door on the floor and headed into it. He returned a few minutes later with three cans of Spaghetti Os and a can opener. Then he led Nick and Annie into a back room, where a small pit of ash and burnt wood was. Tossing a ball of tinder into the embers, Charlie turned it into a small but strong fire.

He ripped off the paper labels, tossing them into the fire. Then he began to open the cans with the can opener, stopping two-thirds of the way around. He placed them on a slab of smooth rock near the fire, waiting for them to cook.

"How do you know how to do that?" Nick asked. "I've seen people do that on TV and stuff. It actually works?"

"So far, it has," Charlie replied.

"How did you learn how to do this?" Nick questioned.

"An old friend showed me when I first came here," Charlie said. He lowered his head, frowning. "Without her, none of us would've survived out here."

"You weren't alone when you came here?" Nick asked.

"No," the brunette muttered.

Charlie didn't say anymore on the subject, stirring the Spaghetti Os with a fork to keep them from burning along the bottoms of the cans. Nick fell silent, watching the flames dance. Annie, still in his lap, leaned back against his chest and closed her eyes.

A few more minutes passed before Charlie announced that the Spaghetti Os were done. He pulled out three forks and three pairs of red-orange gloves, handing two forks and two pairs of gloves to Nick. Annie snapped back awake, initially afraid before realizing she was safe. Nick and Annie pulled on the gloves and picked up their cans. They didn't feel any pain from the heated cans.

"What are these?" Nick asked. "Weirdest kitchen gloves I've ever seen…"

"Charmeleon skin gloves," Charlie said, taking a bite of his Spaghetti Os. "Took me forever to find one on Level 5. It was worth it to not burn my hands while cooking anymore, though."

Nick stared at the gloves in sudden disgust before taking a bite of his Spaghetti Os. He gasped, burning his tongue a little. After blowing on it, he tried it again and smiled.

"It tastes good!" he complimented.

"Thanks," Charlie shrugged, not really paying attention.

"Mmmm! Uh-oh~! Spaghetti O~s!" Annie sang.

Nick struggled not to laugh. When he noticed the lack of reaction in Charlie, he was baffled. Charlie was messing with the tail of the Skarmory he had killed, turning it this way and that. Nick didn't get it. What was so interesting about a piece of weirdly-shaped metal?

"You guys are new, aren't you?" Charlie suddenly asked.

"New?" Nick repeated, confused.

"You don't know the Pokemon on this level. You don't know where you are. You don't know how to protect yourself here." Charlie held up a finger for each thing he said. "The list goes on and on."

"What does all of that mean? What does it matter?" Nick demanded.

"If I hadn't shown up when I had, you'd both be dead right now," Charlie replied coldly. "Most new ones die immediately unless they've had to go through situations similar to what Mactabilis has us go through. You're two of a lucky few that are found by more experienced kids, like me, and are saved rather than killed."

"You mean some kids…_kill_ other kids?" Nick squeaked.

"It's the best way of ensuring the Sweepers don't do the job for us," Charlie answered, slurping up a few mouthfuls of Spaghetti Os.

"You mean there are murderers here?!" Nick cried.

"It's the most common path to take here," Charlie shrugged. "They're not so much murderers as they are protectors. It's cruel but necessary."

"How is it necessary?!" Nick shouted.

"Would you rather the Sweepers constantly had to kill us older kids, leaving you new kids with nobody to protect them?!" Charlie shot back. "If some of us didn't keep the numbers of kids in check, that's what would happen. I might've not been here to save you then. You'd both be dead now."

"But we're not dead," Annie piped up. "You aren't dead either. We're all still alive."

"That's exactly why we're still alive," Charlie sighed, slurping up the last of his Spaghetti Os. "You'll understand once you're here for a while. You're not home anymore, kids. Mactabilis has its own rules. You best learn them…and fast."

"You're not going to leave us, are you?" Annie asked, suddenly scared. "You'll stay, right?"

"Yeah," Nick nodded. "Are you going to stay…or will you abandon us anyway?"

Charlie couldn't help but let out a sharp laugh. "Paranoid already, huh?" he chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll stay. I know how to stick around when I've made a choice. I saved you and I'll stick with you until I die…or you die, whichever comes first."

"Thanks," Nick replied dryly, frowning.

"Whatever," Charlie said, leaning back against a wall. "Finish your food and get some sleep. We'll set out in the morning."

"Set out? To where?" Nick asked, suddenly wary.

"You want to find an exit, right?" Charlie asked. "The only way to do that is to head through the other levels. We're headed for the staircase."

Nick smiled, hope shining in his eyes. _We might be able to go home after all,_ he realized.

Charlie cut into his happy thoughts. "Don't get your hopes up," he warned. "There might not even be an exit. Even if there is, it won't be easy to find. You might want to get used to living here permanently, just in case."

Nick frowned but nodded, understanding. Annie nodded as well, lost but realizing this was an important discussion between her big brother and Charlie. Charlie smirked before tossing his empty Spaghetti Os can at a metal trash bin. It bounced off the rim and fell in.

"Score," Charlie said with a smirk.

Nick and Annie laughed.


	4. Chapter 3: Buggy Ooze

Chapter 3: Buggy Ooze

"Wake up. Time to go," a voice ordered.

Nick groaned as something dug into his ribs. He struggled to open his eyes, glaring sleepily up at Charlie. The brunette nudged him with his boot again, frowning.

"Up and at 'em, Nick. Time to go," Charlie said.

"Go _where_?" Nick asked grumpily, sitting up and yawning.

"Where else? The staircase," Charlie replied, walking toward a window. "We've got a lot of ground to cover and the faster we cover it, the faster we can leave this level."

"I'm tired! It's too early!" Annie complained after Nick succeeded in waking her up.

"Early is good," Charlie said, digging through the cabinets and drawers of the room. "Most of the Pokemon aren't awake yet. We can probably make it a third of the way to the stairs before we encounter any Pokemon."

"What are you doing?" Nick asked, watching as Charlie scooped up the embers of last night's fire into a can.

"Gathering supplies," the older brunette answered, pulling open a cabinet. "The Creator teleports stuff into each level at night. You never know what you'll find. I'm taking anything I find with us. You never know when the most useless item will become your most treasured weapon or survival tool."

Nick and Annie both got up, searching through cabinets, drawers, and any gaps they could find in the building. Just as Charlie had said, the formerly empty house was now chock full of hidden treasures. They regrouped in the back room where they had their fire and assessed their newfound tools.

Annie had scored in finding both a toothbrush and a hairbrush. She found a packet of peanuts, three cans of baked beans, and a camera in the room that the trap door led to. She also found a pair of furry pink gloves.

"You can keep the toothbrush and gloves. I've already got some of my own," Charlie said. "You can have the hairbrush, too. You'll probably need it more than us."

"Uh huh!" Annie was already brushing her hair with the hairbrush.

Nick was proud to say he'd found some weapons. A pocket knife and two grenades, to be exact. Charlie took the grenades immediately, storing them in a special pouch in his backpack. Other than those, he found a pair of jeans, a black hoodie that was one size too big for him, and a pair of red and white tennis shoes.

"Give Annie the shoes," Charlie advised. "Those dress shoes won't cut it out here."

"But I like my shoes! They're pretty!" Annie whined, trying desperately to hide her feet.

"Pretty, yes. Good for walking long distances in, no." Charlie pointed out. "I'll keep your shoes in my bag, okay? You can wear them when we're not walking."

"…Okay," Annie muttered, frowning.

She reluctantly took off her dress shoes, handing them off to Charlie. Nick helped her lace up the tennis shoes. She took a few steps in them, confirming that they were the right size for her.

"Hey, look! My shoes match yours, Nick!" Annie cried.

"Huh?" Nick looked down at his own shoes, a nearly identical pair of red and white tennis shoes. "Wow! You're right!"

The siblings shared a laugh. Charlie sighed, stuffing their newly acquired supplies into his backpack. He could already feel it getting heavier.

Not that he needed to worry much. He had managed to find a duffel bag, which currently had the extra clothes and Annie's dress shoes in it. Charlie also managed to find two quilts, a light blue winter coat that was just a tad too small for him, a bag of pretzels, two bags of potato chips, a wristwatch, and an extra pair of socks.

As he hefted his backpack over his shoulder and handed the duffel bag to Nick, Charlie noticed a cabinet door ajar. He cautiously approached it. Nick and Annie fell silent, watching. They had no idea what may lie beyond the cabinet door.

The siblings jumped when Charlie unleashed a loud cry. The older boy emerged from the cabinet and stood, grinning in triumph at the object he held in his hands. Nick's mouth dropped open.

"You found a machete?!" he cried.

"Yep," Charlie nodded, running a finger carefully down the blade. "The Creator favors me once again. This'll definitely help us pass through Level 2. I wish I had this the first time I went through there."

He attached the machete to his belt with a piece of thick wire wrapped around one of his belt loops. The weapon bumped against his leg as he walked, but Charlie paid it no mind. Nothing could wipe the grin off of his face.

"Is that everything?" Nick asked, looking around.

"I think so. We scored pretty well." Charlie commented, patting the machete with pride. "Now comes the hard part—getting to the staircase. We'll probably have Pokemon on our asses most, if not the entire way, there. If we leave now, they might still be too sluggish to come out for another hour or so."

"Then let's go! The faster we get there, the sooner we can leave!" Nick reasoned.

Charlie gave no arguments. The older boy pulled on his backpack, handing the duffel bag off to Nick. Annie, being the youngest, didn't have to carry anything besides a bag of chips, which Charlie gave her to munch on. It wasn't the best thing for breakfast but, as Charlie had previously said, "you take what you can get out here".

Charlie eased the front door open, looking around. "…All clear." He looked back at Nick and Annie. "We'll move quickly but steadily. No excess noise if you can avoid it. Got it?"

"Uh-huh," Annie nodded.

"Roger," Nick agreed.

"Good," Charlie smirked. "And whatever happens, stay behind me."

"No arguments there," Nick reassured, fingers brushing over the pocket knife. _First time using one of these… Better not mess up._

The older boy stepped out, looking around warily. The town appeared to be its usual abandoned self. Waving the others out, he swiftly made for the exit. Nick and Annie scurried after him, silent as could be. Charlie was glad to know these two could follow basic instructions like that. There was less of a chance of being caught now.

The empty town was soon left behind. A light wind whipped up, tossing sand in Charlie's eyes and mouth. He heard Annie gagging slightly behind him.

"Here," he muttered, handing Nick a bottle of water. "Just enough to clear the sand and no more, okay?"

"Okay," Nick replied, tending to his coughing sister.

While Nick did that, Charlie focused on the path ahead. The stairway rose in the distance like a shining pillar of holy light. A beacon of escape from this sandy hell…but an entryway to a seemingly endless maze of jungle foliage. Trading one hell for another. Was it worth it, really?

…To find an exit, yes.

A loud gasp caused Charlie to whip around. Nick was clutching Annie tightly, the water bottle having fallen to the ground to spill its precious contents atop the sands. Charlie would've yelled had he not seen what it was that caused Nick's behavior.

Rising from the sand like a ghost, a huge violet cobra swayed slightly just a dozen feet away from them. The markings on its belly and hood, proudly displayed by the serpent, sent a shiver of fear down the older boy's spine. Now he understood why Nick and Annie were frightened.

It was an Arbok.

Charlie quickly got in front of the terrified pair, machete out and ready to kill. The snake pulled its head back slightly, eyes squinted from the bright sunlight glinting off the menacing black blade. It hissed softly, sinking lower toward the ground.

"I need you guys to move," Charlie said softly, taking a step back. "Move toward the direction of the stairway."

"Why?" Nick squeaked. "Can't you kill it?"

"I'd rather not," the older boy admitted, a tinge of fear appearing in his hushed voice. "If I mess up, the poison from its bite will kill me. I'd rather just go around it. It looks sleepy, so it shouldn't chase after us if we leave it alone."

"And if it _does_ chase us?" Nick hissed, frightened and angry by the boy's reluctance to kill the beast.

"Then we keep running," Charlie replied, stepping back again. "Now move!"

Nick did as he was told, pulling Annie into his arms. Duffel bag handles hanging from the crook of his elbow, the boy stepped sideways toward the direction of the glowing stairway in the distance. His eyes remained on the swaying Arbok, petrified. Only the occasional bumps he accidentally got into with Charlie kept him moving. The serpent's head swiveled to follow them, hood unfurled and soft hisses escaping it.

They soon left the beast behind. As Charlie had said, it didn't pursue them…for now. The older boy increased his steps, yanking Nick along as he hurried across the hot sands of the desert. Distance seemed to drag its feet, making the journey seem even longer as they headed for the stairway.

Low clicking caused Nick to jump, tearing his arm loose of Charlie's hold. Annie gave a cry as knee-high pale purple scorpions emerged from the sand. It was a colony of Skorupi. Charlie kicked sand at them, making them hiss furiously.

"Dude, you're pissing them off!" Nick cried in shock.

"I know! That's the point!" Charlie replied, kicking even more sand at them.

Violet needles exploded from the mouths of a few of them, coating the sand in front of them. Charlie jumped back, dodging the poisonous needles just in time. Then he lunged, stomping heavily on the back of one of the Skorupi. It gave a choked hiss before collapsing, greenish ooze squirting from its broken form.

"Eeeeewwwww!" Annie wailed in disgust, burying her face in Nick's shoulder.

Nick had to admit that it was indeed disgusting. The Skorupi would shoot needles, Charlie would dodge, and then he'd simply stomp on them like…well, bugs. A good dozen had already been stomped by the older boy.

"Nick, heads up!" Charlie shouted.

Nick yelped, a low hiss coming from nearby. Looking down, he jumped away as a long stinger stabbed where his left ankle had been only a split-second beforehand. The Skorupi clicked angrily, tugging its tail free. Then it skittered forward, ready to continue its assault.

"Charlie, help!" Nick cried.

"Just stomp it!" Charlie coached as he crushed another Skorupi under his boot.

_Stomp it? But I…_ Nick winced when Annie squeezed his neck tighter. _Ugh…_

Jumping back to dodge a spray of poisonous needles, he suddenly lunged. The scorpion screeched when Nick's foot crashed down on its back, pinning it. It flailed its legs and tail wildly, trying to regain purchase on the ground. The brunette increased the pressure, putting all of his weight into crushing the overgrown bug. With a strangled hiss, its back crushed inward.

Spraying a good amount of bug ooze all over Nick's left shoe and ankle.

"AAAAUUUGHH!" Nick cried out, leaping back. "Gross!"

A good portion of his shoe was coated in the ooze. That wasn't the bad part, though. It was all over his lower leg and ankle, soaking into his sock. When Nick put his foot back on the ground, his sock made a disgusting squelching noise. He could almost _feel_ the ooze beginning to squish between his toes.

"Eeeeeewwwwww! Nick has buggy ooze in his shoe!" Annie declared, grossed out.

The colony quickly fled soon after, burying back beneath the sands from whence they came. Aside from the needles and squished corpses, it was as if the colony had never appeared. Charlie retrieved a plastic see-through container from his backpack and gingerly retrieved the poisonous needles, placing them inside.

Then he saw Nick's shoe and laughed. "Oops! I forgot you don't have boots yet. Should've left that to me, huh?"

"No duh!" Nick shouted, not amused. "This is so gross!"

"Relax!" Charlie chuckled. "Once we hit Level 3, you'll have to worry about mud. You'll be lucky if you even still _have_ shoes by the time we're done in there."

"Oh, joy…" Nick grumbled, glowering at him.


End file.
